August 28th

“I kept my faith, even when I said,
   ‘I am greatly afflicted’”; Psalm 116:10

when i awake but cannot
get out of bed because worry
sits heavy on my chest,
you pick it up and toss it
in the trash can, then hold
out faith as a robe to warm me.
as i move through the day
from meeting to meeting,
or loneliness to loneliness,
or walking down unknown streets,
you mark little red flags
in my soul’s GPS so i know
where i can find faith.
when each night seems longer
than any prayers i can cobble together,
you slip in, like a kitten getting
under the covers, to remind me
that faith is that small candle
i always seem to forget i hold,
its flame flickering in all
my hesitant breaths, but
refusing to go out.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 27th

“His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
    nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;” Psalm 147:10

we won’t see them
in any social media reels,
or making the top ten
lists of anyone, but
the ones who, without realizing
what fools they are, choose
to take the less-traveled road
every chance they get.
who, with callused hands from
cleaning up the litter of the privileged
and whose feet need soaking
every night from standing in the
shadows with the forgotten.
who, getting proforma responses
from the powerful every time,
keep writing about
the injustices in our times.
those are the folk you
are waiting for, in the gathering dusk
at the finish line, to hand them
the gold medal for living.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 26th

“The LORD watches over the strangers;
   he upholds the orphan and the widow,
   but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.” Psalm 146:9

the lonely widow
finds you offering your arm
as she takes her evening walk
past the houses filled with hearts
which are closed off to her.
war’s orphans are but
a statistic or a protest image
for most of the world,
but their names are whispered
on your breath swirling around us.
like leaves drifting by until
they end up in gutters or
raked into bags to be put out
for the gatherers of trash,
strangers simply pass by us,
their faces forgotten
as the day blurs into the shadows
gathering on the lawn,
and we wonder why you
question our compassion.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 25th

“They set a net for my steps;
    my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my path,
    but they have fallen into it themselves.” Psalm 57:6

they thought a shovel
would be all they needed,
but then, when they realized
who was walking with me,
brought out those heavy
pieces of equipment to dig
a yawning hole
too deep for even you.
but spreading a net of mercy
from one edge of the sky to the other,
you kept me from falling in.
and as the trembling in my soul
turns into that trust
that you will always catch me,
i find myself on that solid grace
which will support me
at every moment.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 24th

“There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28

no more tats signifying
which gang we’ve joined,
no more voting registrations
indicating our political party,
no more tribal name tags
sewn onto our souls,
no more heavy labels
slapped on us saying,
‘if found, return to owner.’
now,
in every place of holiness
where bread is broken
and in every pub and eatery
where strangers cheer on teams
and sing songs known by all,
our stories are woven together
like the cast of a play,
our lives are no longer categories
but birth certificates showing
we are not strangers
or outsiders or shadows,
but light, kin, siblings
in that family made up
of more people than
all the stars in the night
or the grains of sand on the beach.
God’s beloved.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 23rd

“Be gracious to me, O God, for people trample on me;
    all day long foes oppress me;
my enemies trample on me all day long,
   for many fight against me.
O Most High, when I am afraid,
   I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:1-3

some treat the forgotten
as if they are simply door mats
on which they can wipe their privilege.
some see outsiders
as those who look as if they
are ready to give birth to justice
and so, slam the doors in their faces.
some have no problem using
others as steppingstones to success
or as ladders to climb to power.
yet, all those whose knees knock,
whose heels are snapped at
by fear’s sharp teeth,
whose names are whispered
in the shadows of hate,
are the torch bearers
of your Beloved Community.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

August 22nd

“Be merciful to me, O God; be merciful to me,
   for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
   until the destroying storms pass by.” Psalm 57:1

in a world filled with anger
and a culture obsessed
with posts, texts, memes,
how will mercy ever find us
so we might be more caring.
yet
as we flap our wings
like little birds trying to figure out
what this flying thing
is all about,
you offer shelter under
your steadfast shadow of love—
just as a mother does
who encircles her young ones
when thunder shakes their bed
and lightning scares them.
and so,
just like them, we wait
until the storms pass
the lightning fades,
the wind becomes a sigh
and the only sound we hear
is the beating of your heart.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman